Thread Subject: Re: 22(e) and 22(f) Image Maps

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From: Bailey Bruce
Date: Thu, Nov 16 2006 6:25 AM

Gregg V. wrote:
> I think it was to cover things like a map where every point
> meant something. Like a geospatial zoom point. (This is
> usually done differently now).

Jim Thatcher wrote:
> I know of no example of a server side map that is necessary,
> let alone practical. In case you are wondering, none of the
> "map companies" that I have checked use server side maps.

This was news to me, but sure enough I could not find examples of old
school server side image maps in use either! This leads me to a couple
of questions I am hoping Jim or Gregg or someone else can answer:

1) What technologies are the mainstream "map companies" using nowadays?

1a) Are the techniques still not centered around feeding arbitrary x,y
mouse coordinates to a server-side process? (Excepting client-side
caching and other similar optimization.)

1b) If so, is it really wrong to consider this a "server side map"?
(Yes, strictly speaking, the syntax has changed. But we just had a
discussion in parallel that "text only" doesn't literally mean only
text!)

2) As we know, Federal agencies tend to lag behind the mainstream. Are
the modern techniques easy enough to implement that an agency would not
prefer instead to use an old school server side image map for a GIS
application?

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